Q. My son/daughter turns 5 after April 30, 2016. Can he/she play in the Summer League?urns 5 after April 30, 2016, can he/she play in the summer league?

A. Unfortunately no. The divisions have been set up based upon survey responses, our projection of volunteer support we will receive, and finally a desire to provide younger players that are eligible to move up a division next year with a introductory experience in that next division.

Q. How did the League decide the Age Divisions they would offer?

The Age Divisions were decided by the level of interest received due to the survey responses, and as previously stated, the desire to provide "the next level up" experience to eligible players in a slightly less competitive environment. The exception here being 8 year olds. The consensus is that the skill level leap from Rookie to Minor is very large especially considering there will be Major players (11's) in that division. It was decided more repetitions at the Rookie level would serve that population best.

Q. Can my son/daughter be placed on the same team as his/her friend?

A. No. In order to maintain order and competitive balance, players will be required to try out, and managers will draft players based upon the player's demonstrated skill level.

Q. My son/daughter is playing with the All Stars. Can he/she also play in the Summer League?

A. Not in the Cal Ripken Divisions. The Summer League has been set up to provide playing opportunities to those children who don't make All-Stars or those that choose not to play All-Stars. Space in the summer league is limited and it would not be fair to deny a playing opportunity for a non all star by an all star with plenty of playing opportunity. The exception is the 13U all stars that are only planning on playing in the Babe Ruth District Tournament. If those plans change, this policy will be reevaluated for those players.

Q. How did you decide the schedule of games?

A. The schedule has been determined by trying to balance a couple of key factors:

Sharing of the Cal Ripken fields with the 6 All-Star Teams

Allowing families to have the summer weekends free for other activities

Providing for a Summer Baseball Season that is not too time consuming, too long, or too short. However:

After Labor Day Weekend, we may move to two games per week to conclude the season on a timely basis especially if we experience rain-outs or the season starts later than expected due to the spring season ending later than expected.

Q. When will we know who the managers will be or if we have enough managers in each division?

A. By the June league body meeting, we will have a better idea of the volunteer support as the registration will have been open for two weeks and it will be closing soon there after. If we project we don't have enough volunteers, we may have to decide to pull the plug on the Summer League idea and issue refunds. Please sign up early and indicate on the registration form if you are interested in managing a team. The biggest risk to the Summer League at this point is a potential lack of volunteer support.

Q. I've heard rumors that the draft rules will be significantly different that that of the Spring League. Can you explain?

A. No explanation here yet as the rules are being drafted and fine tuned, but yes, we will be trying out some new methods in drafting teams for the Summer League on an experimental basis. Please attend June's league body meeting at 7:30 P.M. at the Liberal Club on June 14 for more details.